Every law firm with a litigation practice eventually needs a language services partner. Many firms select one early, then never reevaluate. Here is a practical checklist for choosing (or auditing) your provider.
Certification and credentials
Does the provider routinely supply certified interpreters at the level your jurisdiction recognizes? Can they confirm certification in writing before assignment? Do they handle federal court matters where federal certification is required?
Language coverage
Spanish is easy. The real test is what happens when your client speaks Mam, or Mixteco, or Marshallese. Ask the provider to describe their last three rare-language assignments. A good provider treats rare-language requests as standard work; a bad one tells you they cannot help.
Response time
How quickly does the provider confirm in writing? Are they responsive after 5pm Pacific or on Saturday morning? Does emergency scheduling carry a premium, or is short-notice part of the standard offering?
Subject-matter matching
Are interpreters matched to practice area, or assigned by first-available? An interpreter who has handled fifty PI depositions is meaningfully better at the fifty-first than one assigned because they happened to be open. Ask the provider how they match.
Quality assurance for translation
For translation work, who reviews the translator's output before delivery? "Self-review" is not quality assurance. Look for providers that use a separate reviewer for every project.
Billing and project management
- Are invoices itemized in a format compatible with your billing protocols?
- Is there a single point of contact for an assignment?
- Can the provider handle complex multi-witness or multi-day assignments without you re-explaining the matter every time?
References
Ask for references from firms with practice areas similar to yours. The provider's ability to point to long-standing relationships with comparable firms is a strong signal.
AMS has been answering these questions for law firms since 1999. Our clients include AmLaw 100 firms, the U.S. Department of Justice, the California Attorney General, and nationally recognized plaintiffs firms. See our representative clients for the full picture.